


Pull-out couch

by Teatrolley



Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Continuation, Established Relationship, Friendship, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Trondheim, new tag lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-23 02:22:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17674607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teatrolley/pseuds/Teatrolley
Summary: Their Trondheim flat is big enough for a couchOr: Some love stories are about friends





	Pull-out couch

**Author's Note:**

> you know when you start to write something without much of a plan and it turns out a little random and you guess it’s a story? no? you will after this

Isak likes this place a lot actually.

Up under the roof of a building close to the center, it’s something of a steal, and it's certainly got it’s charm too. The front door opens up to a big living space, spanning the width of the house so you can stand in the middle and look through the skylight windows to either end of the town. There’s a kitchen along one of the walls with baby blue tiles covering the back of it, a closed bedroom and bathroom, and a nicely sectioned of area for their living space. With a pull-out couch.

The first person to stay there is Jonas.

He’s still on a gap-year, second one, traveling around, but in November he comes home. And then he comes up to them. It’s weird to be back, apparently. And then there’s the fact that Eva has broken up with him again.

When he arrives, his hair is longer, and he’s got his gap-year bag slung over his shoulder. He looks tired and older and a little heartbroken. For once, Isak reaches out and starts the hug first.

That night Even cooks for them while they sit on the couch. Jonas is staring at the black TV screen.

“This is a very nice place,” he says. Until now he’s mostly talked of nothing or been quiet instead. Not that Isak blames him. Eva was always his big love. “Very adult.”

“Mm-hm.”

There’s music playing on the radio that stands on one of the kitchen-counters. Even is being considerate and giving them space.

“I don’t know how you did it,” Jonas goes on. “First one, best one.”

Isak smiles.

“Luck of the century,” he says.

“Yeah.”

Jonas looks down. It’s pretty terrible to see him like this. All sad, when normally Jonas is the one taking care of him. Showing up and giving him a place to sleep. Looking out for him even when he’s failing.

“You gonna tell me there are other fish in the sea?” Jonas asks.

“No.” Isak is not unused to this kind of conversation. Even does it too. He knows that it’s a way to ask for what you need to hear. “There are, probably. But I feel like right now you just need to be sad.”

Jonas smiles too, first time it’s seemed this sincere. And then he groans.

“I hate this.”

“Mm,” Isak says. “You probably need to feel that too.”

Later, at dinner, Even is the one to coax some travel stories out of Jonas, despite his sadness. He’s always been good at cheering people up, and he is now too, nodding and laughing at all the right places so Jonas goes on. Eventually he even laughs along too.

That night they pull out the couch and make it up with sheets and their spare duvet. Or he does it, is more correct. Even just stands by watching it.

“Will you be okay on your own?” he asks Jonas, who’s sitting by in their armchair too, hands wrapped around the cup of tea Even made him. “Or do you want to borrow my boyfriend?”

Jonas chuckles.

“Honestly, I don’t think he wants to be lended out to me.”

Isak looks up from the finished couch.

“I don’t know,” he says, sitting on it. “At least you offered to help.”

“Oh, it’s like that?”

“Mm-hm,” Isak says, smiling at Even, who’s definitely just teasing him now. “You’re the one who’s trying to prostitute me off to avoid me tonight anyway.”

“To what?”

He’s grinning. Inside joke.

“Fuck you, not this again. I said it right.”

And then he laughs. Jonas chuckles too.

“No, it’s okay,” he says. “Don’t want to intrude too much, anyway.”

“Oh, no, intrude,” Even says. “We’re already planning to take you Trondheim hiking too on the weekend.”

“Oh, really?”

“Mm-hm.”

“And you don’t have a choice,” Isak says. “Apparently.”

Jonas smiles.

That night Isak lies across from Even in their bed, while Jonas sleeps in the living room, and their eyes meet.

"You think he'll be okay?" he asks. And Even nods.

"Yes," he says. "I think he will."

*

That week they do exactly what they said they would. Isak’s got lectures and work, and Even has work too, but when they’re not busy they spend their time together with Jonas.

On Tuesday, they take him sightseeing in Trondheim’s central part of town. On Thursday, they take him out to a bar with some of their new friends. And on Saturday, they go for a hike.

That night they come back, shower, eat, and settle down in their living room for a movie night marathon. They’ve turned their big overhead light off, so they’re only lit softly. They’ve got snacks and blankets. Isak starts the night out in a relatively upright position, but it’s not long before he’s slumped halfway down the couch and is using Even’s shoulder as a pillow. It’s normal. But it’s not long before Jonas has slumped down the couch and fallen asleep against his shoulder too.

When he notices, Isak looks at Even and they both smile softly about it. Then Even lifts his arm from in-between them and puts it around his shoulders instead. Kisses his forehead.

“You’re a good friend,” he says, and Isak thinks he understands everything. How it feels to sit here now, with the person he loved once and the person who he's in love with, and be washed over with the nostalgic ache of someone who was so important to him once still being right here with him, but differently. Maybe better now. How it feels to look at someone and know that things turned out alright.

"Come closer," he says. And knows, when Even kisses him, that he understands that too.

*

The next time they have someone over, it’s not quite as fun.

Even’s been good, but it’s still a big switch to move to a new city. They knew that, and they talked about it, and Isak knows that he knows what to do. As much as you can know what to do.

It’s still difficult.

It's December, and maybe that's why it’s coming around now. Their hardest month, Isak thinks. Their anniversary month, but the anniversary of many other things too. Christmas, which is sometimes hard with lives like theirs. A month filled with obligations that are difficult to fulfill. 

They catch it early though. Even's episodes are generally on the shorter end, of course, a couple of weeks from start to finish, mania building slowly over maybe a couple of weeks. It often starts with lack of sleep. Higher sex-drive. Him finding things funny that he usually wouldn’t and getting bright ideas. Spending money, although they’ve tried to block the road for that one.

This time there's sex and talking and then, eventually, there's Isak waking at three am and finding the other side of the bed cold. Even’s in the kitchen with his laptop in front of him.

They go to the doctor in the morning. Even sometimes recognizes his own episodes now, and maybe it's because they've kind of been expecting it, but this time he seems to know exactly as Isak does. It means it's all relatively easy. Prescribed antipsychotics. An offer to be admitted for a moment despite the minimal need, which they both decline. Them back home, and, twelve or so hours later, the crash.

Really, it's so smooth he should almost be grateful, but the responsibility of doing it in a city where they're all alone, and Even's parents are hours and hours away is kind of overwhelming. So instead of sleeping along with Even, Isak lies in their bed and looks at the ceiling, trying not to cry. 

In the morning he calls Even's parents, but it's like he thought. It's the middle of the work week. It's difficult for them to get away until the weekend, by which they say they'll definitely come. But not yet. So he calls Mikael instead.

"Hi," Mikael says when he picks up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Even had an episode."

"I figured. Since you're calling so early."

"Do you think you could come?"

There's a moment of pause.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Isak says. "His parents can't come until the weekend, and I'm kind of... I'm all alone. And I know you have uni too–" 

"I'll skip."

"Sure?" Isak asks.

"Yes. Of course. Is he okay?"

"Yes, it was all so fine this timd. I'm kind of panicking for nothing."

Mikael chuckles on the other end.

"I'll see if I can get on a train today."

"Yes." Isak exhales in relief. "Thank you."

Back in their bed, Even has woken up. Looks tired, like he always does in these times, but otherwise okay. Isak gets into the bed next to him, smiling fondly and feeling it.

"Hey, you," he says. Even has the duvet pulled up to his chin, but he follows Isak with his eyes, which means it's not totally bad. When Isak reaches out to touch his hair, he lets him. And then he breathes out a deep sigh.

"I hate this."

"Yeah."

Isak doesn’t stop. Instead he leans in close, so their foreheads touch, and stays with him. It's a miracle that he's allowed today. Sometimes Even won't even look at him. But now he does.

"You're kind of panicking for nothing?" he says. Caught out.

"Ah," Isak says. But Even is looking at him like he doesn't really mind. "I asked Mikael to come."

"For me? Or for you?"

"Both?" Isak asks. He knows it would make Even look sad, and it does. But it also makes him reach out for him. So he goes.

"I'm sorry."

Even's always apologizing in moments like these, but Isak would never need him to. It's love, he thinks, holding him and revelling when there's a smile. It's love, and Isak loves him.

"I'm not," he says. 

Like a second miracle of the morning, Even smiles.

*

That night, when Mikael arrives, they've made it to the living room in sweatpants. They've got take-away; Chinese and enough for Mikael too. The radio is on, and Even has been leaning on his shoulder for most of the day, drifting in and out of tired sleep, but now he's awake and looking it too. Mikael hugs Even first.

"You didn't have to come."

"I'm not here for you."

Even smiles, and Isak smiles too. Never mind that they all know it's a little bit untrue. Then Mikael hugs him too.

"You got food for me?"

"We'd be bad hosts if we didn't, wouldn't we?" Even says. Weakly. But still.

"Smartass."

Even laughs a little. Isak is so relieved he thinks he could cry again. 

Mikael stays the whole week. It's good because it means that Isak can go to his classes and most importantly his labs and still know that someone is there for him. It's good because he's always good at lighting up their mood, even when they're pretty good at that themselves. So by Friday they're sitting on the living room floor, gathered around their coffee table, playing boardgames all night. And Even is winning. 

That night, in their bed, Even lies and looks at him. Brushes the hair out of his face.

"You made a good call," he says.

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hm. Anything you do to take care of yourself is a good call in my eyes."

Isak smiles.

"Mm. And to take care of you," he says.

He never knew it would feel like this before, but it does. He never knew he could be as free of judgment, but he is. He knows, because he's heard it from Even many times, that Even's biggest feelings are fear or shame. That he'll hurt him. That he's always going to need him again. But to Isak that's not a concern at all, because he meant what he said back then, in the kollektivet kitchen those many moons ago. That only Even can feel his feelings. That he is going to be there, and take the things with him exactly as they come.

Tonight he thinks Even can tell what he's thinking. At least he smiles back. And then he leans in to kiss him.

"I love you," he says. 

"And I love Mikael."

Even chuckles. 

"Yeah. He's been pretty good too."

They keep smiling at each other. And Isak knows he wouldn't have him any other way.

*

In January everyone is finished with their last exams and doing their semester break, but since they're almost all uni students moved out of their parents' house, they don't have a lot of money. So instead of Marrakech, it's a Trondheim holiday.

They've never hosted this many people before, let alone for a whole week, but it's perfect anyway. The pull-out couch can hold two people and Even's old camping gear can hold two more. That's enough for the boys and Mikael, who's there too. Mikael, who's kind of making eye-contact with Jonas for a while.

Isak catches Even's eyes across their living room and smile about it. They don't say anything.

The first Friday they're all together, they have a party in their flat.

It's nice to stay in sometimes. They get beer, and snacks and food, and then they turn on their fairylights and lamps to set the mood. Isak invites a couple of their new friends too, and then suddenly they've filled up their flat with people they love. He thinks Even notices it too. At least he pulls him in while they sit on the couch, and kisses his cheek a couple of times.

Around eleven pm, a couple of them go outside for some air. Isak stays in inside with Jonas on the couch. They open two new beers.

“So,” he says, and he doesn’t even have to continue before Jonas sighs. He smiles. And Jonas smiles too. “I think it’s great.”

“Don’t say it like it’s a thing. It’s not.”

“Yet.”

He can see from Jonas’s bitten lip, trying to mask his smile, that he likes that.

It’s sweet. There are many other things it makes Isak feel too. A little vindicated on behalf of younger him, who read into the way Jonas acted around boys with a sort of hopefulness that was also desperation. Vindicated about the same thing for Even. Sad for Mikael and how actually liking boys must have made everything that happened back then harder than if he didn’t. But mostly he thinks it’s sweet.

“Would Even be okay with it?” Jonas asks. It’s not him confirming his feelings, but in a way it’s better than that. Isak still smiles.

“He thinks it’s amusing.”

“Great.”

“But really.” Isak tugs at a string on his jeans. Thinks. “Honestly, it might make the both of them have some complicated feelings. The whole thing’s just like that. But if you’re happy and he is too, then yeah..."

He nods.

"Then I think you’re good.”

Jonas smiles, slowly, like he's letting himself believe it. And Isak smiles too.

There's a part of his life that will always be Jonas's more than Even's. It feels special to give something back to him now.

In the morning, they’re all a little hungover, sitting on the couch and the sleeping mats, still made up with sheets. They’re drinking juice and tea and coke and eating the toast that Even has made them, wearing just his boxers like he’s just as at home with them here as he is when it’s him and Isak alone. Isak is sitting with his head on Even’s shoulder and Even’s arm around his, and across from them, Jonas and Mikael sit so their shoulders touch.

He and Jonas’s eyes meet. He and Mikael’s, too. A moment. Then he turns back to Even again.

**Author's Note:**

> mmm leave me a comment to tell me what you thought pls!


End file.
